Assembly rejects impeachment petition

The Niger State House of Assembly yesterday threw out the petition by a pressure group, Concerned Citizens, which called for the impeachment of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.

The lawmakers also passed a vote-of-confidence in the governor.

The Chairman of the group, Alhaji Mohammed Maude, vowed to challenge the decision of the Assembly “through all legal means.”

Adopting the report of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges, the Assembly threw out the petition for lack of conformity with the Standing Orders of the House.

Presenting the report on the floor of the Assembly, the Chairman of the committee, Mohammed Nazeer Abdullahi, said in reaching its decision, the committee considered the House rules governing petitions as contained on the Standing Orders of the Assembly and found that the petition fell short of the rules.

He said the committee was guided by Order II Rule 3 pages 13 and 14 of the Standing Orders in recommending that the petition be thrown out. According to him, the petition failed to conform with Rule 3 Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Assembly Standing Orders.

The chairman stated that Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution empowered the House to regulate its own procedure and that since the Standing Orders were made by the Assembly, it would be unconstitutional to violate them.

The committee argued that “non-conformity with the Standing Orders amounts to non-conformity with the constitution and any action as regards to petition which is not in conformity with the Standing Orders of the Assembly becomes unconstitutional.”

It recommended that “any action taken on this petition is unconstitutional and should be thrown out.”

On the presentation of the report, the Assembly adopted the recommendation of the committee and the Speaker, Adamu Aliyu, said the decision of the House was guided by the constitution, adding; “Nobody can intimidate or blackmail the Assembly into taking decisions. We are guided by the constitution in every decision we take.”

Immediately the petition was thrown out, Yusuf Paikoro moved a motion calling for a vote-of-confidence to be passed in Governor Aliyu for his foresight and commitment to improving the state. It was seconded by Jumai Jafaru Mairiga and the House endorsed it.

Alhaji Maude said the decision of the Assembly was tainted with bias, “as it failed to invite us before taking the decision.”